Turn of Events
by DocWho85
Summary: A Blacklister that makes incidents look like accidents and Red's present and future collide. Lizzington
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Red was still leaning against the bridge, looking at the picture of the girl. It was done. He had killed the stewmaker, and it felt so good. Lizzie had called him a monster- he was, but for a reason. Before he could start thinking of the past, he heard a car pull up. Turning around, Red watched as Luli opened the back door and there she was...one of his reasons for living.

Walking towards Red was a woman in her late twenties with blonde, curly hair and a smile that could make him give her anything she wished. When she reached him, Red pulled her into a hug.

"Hi dad." Squeezing him extra tight, Kate noticed how tense and strained he was. "Everything ok?"

Pulling back, Red kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes. "It will be. One of the men responsible for this," Red reached up to touch the scar that ran from her hairline to her ear, "Is gone." Smiling, Red pulled her back into his arms. Inhaling her scent, he felt himself begin to calm.

"Did Agent Keen help you?" Pulling back again, Red eyed his daughter. Ever since he had explained to her his plan of handing himself in to the FBI, Kate had started to idolize Lizzie. It was the only time Red had ever said no to his daughter - when she had asked to meet her. At the moment it was too dangerous.

"Yes she did," he said, then quick to change the subject, "Have you eaten? How about Italian?" Turning and walking towards the car, Red put his arm around Kate's shoulder. Letting Luli open the door, Red let Kate in first and then followed in after her. Facing the front, Red spoke to the man driving the car, "To Luigis, Dembe."

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Trying to relax in the bath Tom had drawn for her, Lizzie kept thinking of Red's face when she called him a monster. His body tensed, but showed no emotion, but for a split second his eyes did, and God, did it make her want to apologise. But she just couldn't.

The other thing that was bothering her was the book Red gave her with photos of all of the Stewmaker's victims. She had noticed that there was one missing. Deciding that the next time she saw him she was gonna confront him, Lizzie sunk herself into the water.

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A/N This is my first time writing and publishing. I'm a long time reader and reviewer.

I'd like to thank Thousand_miles for the support and advice and jadenanne7 for being my Beta.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning saw Lizzie up and ready for work by 7am, having had hardly any sleep due to nightmares. Even closing her eye's now, all she could feel was that needle going into her shoulder and the splashing sound his body made when he went in that bath. Shaking her head and taking a deep breathe, she cleared her mind. Liz left the house.

She just wanted to get to work to keep her mind off everything that had happened. She was also eager to see Red, hoping that what she said yesterday didnt change anything, and to ask him about the picture.

As she was on her way to the Post Office, her phone started to ring. She checked the ID and seeing 'Nick's Pizza' flash on her screen. "Keen"

"Lizzie, we need to meet. I have the next name on the list for you." Not giving her a chance to answer, Red continued, "Meet me at the park." And with that, he hung up. Huffing out a annoyed puff of air, Lizzie changed direction.

Seeing Red on their usual bench, Lizzie walked towards him, nodding to Dembe as she passed. Sitting down, Lizzie turned to face him.

"So who's next on your list?" She tried to gauge his mood today, but Red just smiled and handed her a newspaper.

"Marcus Frost. You want someone dead and for it to look like an accident, he's your man." Pointing to a story in the paper, he continued, "Husband and wife dead after a vehicle collision. Police are ruling it an accident."

He watched Lizzie as she read the paper, checking to see if she was alright. He noticed the bags under her eyes and the way she held her left arm- some definite side effects of her encounter with the Stewmaker.

"According to this, there was a fault on the traffic lights," Lizzie said, interrupting his musings, "and that there were three cars involved. You sure this is the work of your guy?"

"That's what he does, Lizzie. You want a car accident, he'll hack into traffic control and make it happen. He'll make it look that the only people to blame are the people that work for the county. The family of the dead will get compensation and the police will close the case."

"Why's he on your list? What's he done to piss off Raymond Reddington?" Lizzie was confused...this wasn't the kind of criminal Red usually brought to her.

Huffing out a breath, Red explained the situation. "He's taken out a few of my client's people. They don't know why, but they want it stopped. Plus it's bad for business."

"So someone's targeting your client's people, and you want us to stop him so you don't lose buisness?" Lizzie asked.

Nodding, Red handed her a file. "This is what I have on him so far...see what else you can dig up." Rising from the bench, Red started to walk away, but Lizzie grabbed his arm.

"Wait...I need to ask you something." Raising his eyebrow, Red waited for her to continue. "The book you gave me last night...there's evidence missing from it."

"Is there? I hadn't noticed." Red continued walking towards his car, with Dembe following behind him.

"Who was it?" Getting no answer, Lizzie hurried to catch up with him. "Who was the picture of, Red?"

"It doesnt matter, they're dead. Just a nameless victim of the Stewmaker." Reaching the car, Dembe opened the door and Red got in. Before he closed the door he turned to face Lizzie. "Let me know if you get anything on Frost." He closed the door, and the car drove off.

Watching them drive away, all Lizzie could do was seethe and start to think up a plan to find out why the identity of the person in that one picture was so important to Red. She was fed up of all his secrets, and she was determined that this wouldn't be one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Upon arriving at the Post Office, Lizzie looked for Cooper and spotted him talking with Ressler. Approaching them, Lizzie handed the file to Cooper.

"We have a new name. Marcus Frost...a killer for hire. He can make anything look like an accident. Two days ago, there was a car accident...three cars involved, two dead, and five injured. Police are ruling it an accident. Red says this is the work of Frost, who has at least eight, if not more, deaths on his sheet."

While Cooper was reading the file, Lizzie found Aram and got him to run his own background check on Frost. She was doubtful that the FBI would have more information than Red. Thinking of Red got her to thinking of that missing picture. "Who could it be? It has to be someone from his past. Family, or maybe even an ex? WHY AM I EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS?" Lizzie shook her head to clear her thoughts, trying to focus on the case as she saw Cooper and Ressler approach.

"Alright guys...Ressler,Keen, I want the both of you to go interview some of the witnesses and see if they've spotted anyone or anything unusual." Turning to face Aram, Cooper continued, "Aram, run your own checks on this guy, and I want the files of all these accidents." Nodding his head, Aram turned back to his computer.

"Malik, check with traffic control about the day of the crash. I want everything they have for that day. Then come back here and go through it with Aram." With that, Cooper walked to his office, and the team headed for the exit.

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Red entered the cafe and spotted Kate straight away. Walking to her, he bent and kissed her head. "Morning Pumpkin."

As Red sat, Kate gave him a huge smile. "Morning Daddy." Her smile quickly turned into her heartbreaking, 'I want something' smile. Leaning back into his seat Red looked at her. "What is it?" Red asked, mentally preparing himself.

Kate was quick to reply. "Nothing, Daddy, I just think it's time I meet Lizzie, that's all," Seeing that her dad about to interrupt her, she continued, "Since you've told me about your plan and how Lizzie was gonna be involved, I'd like to meet the woman you're putting your future and trust into." Giving a small smirk she added, "Plus...you know...it's not everyday your dad gets a crush."

Sputtering at the last part, Red chose to ignore it and focus on the rest. "Katie, we've been over this. It's not safe." Seeing Kate's smile drop broke Reds heart. "Not yet anyway," he quickly added. When Kate's smile returned, Red sighed. "I mean it though, Katie, it's too dangerous for people to know about you, and Lizzie needs to have more trust in me before I can tell her. We've only been working together for a few months. I know I can trust her, but this would be a big responsibility for her to keep it a secret. You're my main priority, and until I know that you'll be safe with her knowing...it won't happen."

Nodding her head, Kate was quick to agree, willing to be somewhat patient. She would do anything to meet Lizzie, and if her father wanted her to wait until it was safe...she would. She was about to tell him so when they were interrupted by the waitress.

"Hey, are you guys ready to order?"

After they gave their orders, Kate decided to change the subject. "I want a dog." The statement caused Red to choke on his breathe, which caused Kate to start laughing. He gave her a dry look that just made her laugh more. She was laughing so much that she didn't even notice when their drinks were delivered. Trying to calm herself, Kate was able to get out an apology.

"I'm sorry Dad, I didn't think you'd react like that." Getting herself under control she took a deep breath. "But I really want a dog"

"Katie you can't...we move around too much. It wouldn't be fair on a dog." Red had always hated saying no to his daughter, and apart from her wanting to meet Lizzie, he'd rarely had to.

"Used to Dad...we used to move around. Ok, we move to different places every couple of days." Kate was ready for whatever arguments her dad brought up. "But now that you're doing your list, I stay here. But I want some company for when you do go out of town."

"You have Grey."

Kate raised her eyebrow and Red chuckled. She was so much like him.

"Really, Dad...Grey? That's the best reason you can come up with?" Taking a sip of her drink, Kate continued before her father thought of another reason. "Dembe's already promised to train him." She shot a look over his shoulder to Dembe, who was quick to put his head down so Red couldn't see his smile . "Luli and I went to the kennels yesterday, and I've found the perfect dog. Will you come see him Dad, please?"

"You do realize that Dembe and Luli are there to protect you? Not for you to get them to do everything you want."

"Yes, Dad, I know, but they've been around for so long...they are my family." Looking behind her dad, she gave Dembe her special smile. "So will you come see him?"

Red knew there was really no point in arguing. Plus, if Dembe was willing to train the dog, that added more security for Kate. Red agreed, nodding his head with a sigh. Kate squealed and went to hug him. "Thank you, Daddy. I love you."

Returning the hug, Red kissed the side of her head. "I love you too, Pumpkin. Just make sure it doesn't chew on any of my things."

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Getting back to the post office, Lizzie let out a frustrated breath. Following Ressler, she walked towards Meera and Aram.

"Did you guys get anything?" Ressler sounded frustrated as she felt.

"Still waiting on footage from the crash, but we do have the data from traffic control."

Perking up, Lizzie felt like this was the best news she'd heard all day. "Were they hacked?"

"There were changes made to the system at the time of the accident...I'm just trying to find the person's IT tag." With that, Aram went back to typing.

Lizzie shared a confused look with Ressler. "What's an IT tag?" she spoke up.

"All hackers have an ID. It's their calling card. They usually leave it somewhere in the hacked data so that everyone in the cyber world knows who did it." Waiting for them to nod, Meera continued speaking. "Any luck with the witnesses?"

"Nothing. All of their statements are the same now as they were when the accident happened."

Hearing the frustration in Resslers voice, Meera looked to Lizzie.

"Not one thing has changed from their accounts of what happened. They all heard the sound of cars suddenly braking or the sound of the collision and that's it, nothing suspicious."

Cooper, having heard all of this approached his team. "Then I guess we need a location of where Frost is now. Keen, contact Reddington see if he has one. Ressler, go through the reports on the other accidents and see if anything stands out."

Leaving the group, Lizzie went to her office. Taking out her cellphone, she hit number 2 and waited for Red to answer.

"Hello Lizzie, such a pleasure to hear from you."

Rolling her eyes, Lizzie didn't give Red a chance to continue speaking. "I need Frost's current location." Hearing a female voice in the background, Liz strained to hear what was being said. "Who's with you, Red?"

"Just a client." Suddenly, Red made a weird noise. "I'll have a location for you in an hour."

"Red...what was that?"

"I just banged my leg. Concerned for me, Lizzie?"

Seeing where the conversation was headed, Lizzie changed the subject. "Call me with the location ASAP, Red"

"You're not denying it."

"Bye, Red." Hanging up, Lizzie shook her head, not realising she was blushing.

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**A/N **

**A big thank you to Thousand_miles for the support and advice and to jadenanne7 for being my beta. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Blacklist, but Kate's mine.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Less than an hour later, thanks to Red they had the location for Frost. They also had the IT tag, which had been used in at least 2 of the accidents they were looking into. Liz, Meera and Ressler were on their way to the location.

"So far the evidence we have is enough to keep him in custody until we can get more or a confession." Seeing both Meera and Liz nod he continued, "Once we get the addresses for his aliases that'll help us."

"I know Aram's looking, but Red's also getting information on one of the aliases not mentioned in the file." Seeing the looks she was getting, Liz added, "Red only found out about it when he phoned in with Frost's location."

Arriving at the location, which was an abandoned warehouse, Ressler and Liz took the front door while Meera and the SWAT team took the rear. Once their positions were confirmed, they went in. They found Frost straight away, in the center of the room surrounded by computers, televisions, and boards of photos.

"FBI! Hands in the air."

Frost didn't apear to be shocked or surprised. He just calmly raised his arms.

"Walk backwards from the desk...slowly."

Both Ressler and Liz were shouting their instructions at Frost, who continued to calmly follow them.

"On your knees and put your hands behind your head," Lizzie continued before Frost got any ideas.

Once Frost was down, Meera approached and cuffed him. Letting SWAT take him to the car, the guys started to have a look around.

"We'll need Aram to have a look at the computers. I'll call him and get CSI here too."

With that, Meera walked away. Lizzie was looking at the pictures on one of the many boards. "I've found the pictures for the car accident."

Ressler approached to have a look.

"You'd think with all this evidence lying around Frost would invest in some outside cameras, or even an alert system," Lizzie said.

"By the looks of it, he's gotten away with it for years. Maybe he thought he'd never get caught?" Ressler replied.

"A cocky criminal? That's a first."

Hearing the sarcasm, Ressler chuckled. "Alright Keen, we'll Let Meera head back with Frost. We'll wait here for CSI and Aram...see what evidence we can find before we start with the questioning."

Agreeing and walking away, Liz couldn't help but think that this arrest was too easy. For a criminal of his caliber, Lizzie didn't expect him to go down without a fight. She decided to keep a watchful eye and ear on everything. Liz wasn't willing to let any thing happen after what she went through with The Stewmaker.

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Walking into the kennel, Red put his arm around his daughter. Seeing her so excited, he couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of when she was a child at Christmas time, but that quickly led his mind back to THAT Christmas...the Christmas where he lost so much of his life and had to change who he was, but still got to keep one of the most important people in his life. Kate was his life. Shaking those thoughts away, he quickly spoke to his daughter.

"Alright then, Pumpkin...show me this dog."

Grabbing his arm, Kate dragged him to the back. Getting a wave and a chuckle from one of the employees, Red looked at her.

"Exactly how many times have you been here?"

"A few," Kate mumbled with a blush, still dragging him through the kennels.

"Slow down Kate, my leg is still sore from you kicking it earlier."

Once they reached the kennel of a German Shepherd, a tan and brown colour, that looked quite small for his breed. The dog, according to the information hanging from it, was a year old and was found abandoned. Kate got down on her knees and put her fingers through the holes, getting excited barks and licks from the dog. Red got down with her, putting his fingers through the hole The dog tilted his head before he approached Red and sniffed his fingers, wagging his tail. Hearing her dad chuckle, Kate looked at him.

"What do you think Dad?"

"He's cute. Does he have a name?"

Giving her dad a cheeky smile, Kate responded. "He didn't have one until I started coming here. He'd only been here for 2 days when I started to show up. It was love at first sight, wasn't it buddy?" she said, looking at the dog. Turning back to her dad, she continued. "They let me name him."

"And what did you choose?"

"Red." Kate laughed when the dog barked and Red gave her a dry look.

"You named your dog after me?"

"No. You're Raymond, my father. You'll never be Red to me," Kate said, smiling when Red pulled her into a hug. "But now I will have a Red in my life, one who will protect me just like you."

Standing, Red pulled Kate up with him.

"Let's go fill out the forms so he can come home with us."

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Back at the warehouse, Aram was going over the computers while Liz and Ressler were helping the CSI's. Suddenly, Aram stood. "Uh...guys, we have a problem."

Hearing the panic in his voice, both Liz and Ressler rushed over, trying to see what was wrong.

"What is it? What are we looking at?" Ressler asked.

"There's a account on Frost's computer for an accident to happen in less than 3 hours."

"Do we know where?" Liz was starting to panic like Aram now.

"At Union Station," Aram replied with dread.

"Oh God. Union Station at that time? It'll be full!" Turning to Ressler to see what he thought, she was met with his serious face.

"Keen, call Meera, tell her whats going on. I'll call Cooper. Aram, see if you can stop it. If not, find how and where it's going to happen."

Pulling out her phone, Liz called Meera.

"Malik."

"It's Liz. We've found another accident, set to happen in 3 hours at Union Station. We need you to start questioning Frost...get anything you can from him." Lizzie started pacing.

"Do we know who the targets are?" Meera asked.

"Aram's looking into that now. All we know is the when and that it's somewhere in Union Station...nothing else"

"I'll start now. Keep me in the loop."

Ending the call, Liz went back to Aram "Anything yet?"

"It's gonna take me a while. This guy's good, he's got security protocols, inside security protocols."

"How long will that take?" Ressler asked.

Liz jumped having not seen him return. "I don't know. Like I said, with this guy's security system, one wrong move and all the information could be lost forever."

Moving away from Aram, Liz asked about Ressler's call with Cooper.

"He's giving us an hour. After that we start evacuating the surrounding areas around Union Station and we cancel all trains, incoming and outgoing."

"That's going to cause mass panic." Pulling out her phone, Liz texted Meera an update. "I guess all we can do is wait to see what Meera and Aram come up with."

Going back towards the photo boards, Liz started looking at them again. "While their doing that, we can go through all these pictures, remove the ones having to do with cases we already know about and hopefully we might get a clue."

After 20 minutes of Liz and Ressler going through most of the pictures, Liz's phone chimed, notifying her of a text. Seeing it was from Meera, she read it.

_He's not talking. You guys have anything? _

After showing Ressler the text, she turned walked to Aram.

"Any luck yet?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"I might have a who, but no location yet."

"Really? That's great Aram." Smiling for what felt like the first time all day, Liz turned to get Resslers attention. "Ressler, Aram might have a possible ID on our next target."

Aram turned to his own laptop and started typing, then spent the next few minutes between his and Frost's computers. "I got it!" He turned to show Liz and Ressler a picture of a man on his laptop. "Benjamin Clarke, 39, single, works in Mayor Jackson's office as his personal assistant." With that, Aram started printing off information. "Here's his cell number and his addresses for home and work."

Grabbing the papers, Liz and Ressler headed for the door. On their way out Ressler called over his shoulder. "Keep looking for the location and let Cooper know what's going on. We'll be in touch."

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**A/N **

**A huge thank you to Thousand_miles for the support and advice, and to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta.**

**Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing.**

**I know this chapter is Lizzington light, but don't worry that is coming!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Reaching the car, Liz pulled out her phone. "I'll call Meera, then Clarke. We've got maybe two hours until whatever happens- happens."

Nodding, Ressler replied, "We'll head to his place of work first."

"Hey Meera, it's Liz. We've got an ID on our next target- Benjamin Clarke, works in Mayor Jackson's office." Reaching the car, Liz got in.

"What about Union Station? Do we have any information on that yet?" Meera asked.

"Aram's still working on it. See if you can get Frost talking. Also see why someone would want to target Clarke."

"Frost is still not talking. I'll see what i can find."

"Right. Let me know if you get anything," Liz said, hanging up. She couldn't help but think to herself that it would be a lot quicker if she called Red. She turned to Ressler. "Frost is still not talking, but she'll give it another go. If we want a proper background on Clarke, I think i'll call Red. It'll save us a lot of time."

Ressler agreed and pulled out his phone. "I'll call Clarke, you call Red."

Pushing two on her speed dial, Lizzie waited for the call to pick up.

"Twice in one day Lizzie? Do you miss me?"

"Red, I need everything you can get on Benjamin Clarke..." Before she could continue, she heard a bark. "Was that a dog?" she asked, getting a funny look from Ressler.

"Why do you need information on Clarke? And more to the point...who is he? I already gave you Frost."

Hearing a door close and no more barking and noting that Red had ignored her question, Lizzie knew something was going on.

"All we know is that he works in Mayor Jackson's office. Clarke is Frost's new target. At the moment we have a slight chance of stopping it. It's going to take place at Union Station in less than two hours!"

"Alright, give me 15 minutes. I'll see what I can find out, but you know all politicians are dirty. There's always something to be covered up." With that, Red hung up.

Seeing that Ressler had finished his call, Lizzie raised her brow in question.

"Clarke's out of the office for the rest of the day, and he's not answering his cell. We need to keep trying. His secretary did tell me where he catches the train at, so we head there and wait for him."

"So we wait and see? I'll see if Aram has anything more. Red's getting our information, and he'll be contacting me in 15 minutes." Turning back to her phone, Liz thought to herself that she needed to invest in a hands-free kit. Her arm was starting to hurt from all the phone calls she was making. She pulled up Aram's number.

"Mojtabai."

"Aram, do you have anything?" Rubbing her forehead, she could feel a headache coming on.

"I should have the location narrowed down to less than a quarter of a mile in five minutes. I'll call you as soon as I have it."

"That's great! Thanks Aram." Hanging up and turning to Ressler, she told him the news from Aram. "So do we wait here and hope we find him, or do we head to Union Station?"

"I'll call Cooper have him get some agents to sit here and wait for him. We'll head for Union Station."

Liz nodded her head in agreement. Starting the car, Ressler headed for Union Station.

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After finishing his phone call with Lizzie, Red walked back into the lounge. When he noticed the dog and Kate cuddled on the couch, he smiled at the sweet scene, but at the same time he didn't want the dog picking up bad habits.

Pointing to the floor, Red told the dog to get down in his most authoritative voice. When the dog complied, Red patted him on the head, taking his place on the couch. Kate, having noticed that her dad was back in the room, started talking to him straight away.

"Is Lizzie ok?"

"She's fine, Pumpkin. She just needs my help on her case." Having said that, Red turned to Dembe. "I need you to get any and all information on a Benjamin Clarke- works for a Mayor Jackson- and I need it in 10 minutes. Use some of our contacts if you have to."

"I'll see what I can find Raymond." With that, Dembe left the room.

"You hungry yet Pumpkin? I fancy Thai."

"Mmm...yeah...sounds great Dad. You know i'm always hungry. While you order that and wait for Dembe, I'm gonna take Red for a quick walk."

Getting up from the couch, Kate whistled and Red hurried to join her.

"Take Grey with you and don't go far." Hearing a mumbled 'yes Dad' and the door closing closing, Red shook his head. He was about to get up off the couch when Dembe returned.

"Anything?"

"I found quite a lot in such a short time. I've got Luli still checking, but these were the bits that stood out." Handing Red some printouts, Dembe went to stand by the window.

Reading over what he was given, Red couldn't help chuckling.

"I love it when I'm right." Grabbing his cell, he called Lizzie. "Lizzie. Our Mr Clarke has been a naughty boy."

"What do you know, Red?"

Red could practically hear her eyes rolling.

"Murder, Lizzie. Mayor Jackson was driving home drunk one evening when he struck and killed a 15 year old girl. Benjamin Clarke, being his PA, made it go away."

"How did he cover it up?"

"I've got all the information here...I'll have it sent to Aram. If you want to know who hired Frost for this hit, I'd look to the girl's family."

"Thanks Red."

"Didn't I tell you all politicians are dirty?" Chuckling, Red hung up and handed the papers back to Dembe. "Have Luli email everything to Aram." Getting up off the couch, Red went to find the Thai menu.

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After hanging up with Red, Liz filled Ressler in on what they knew. "Clarke covered up a murder commited by Mayor Jackson."

"So Frost was hired for revenge?

"From what information Red has, it looks that way. He's sending everything to Aram."

Arriving at Union Station, they both got out of the car and watched all the people coming and going. Ressler checked his watch. "We have 20 minutes before Cooper closes and evacuates the station. We need to know where and what the thing is so we can stop it."

Before Liz could say anything, her phone started ringing. Checking the ID, Liz smiled. "Perfect timing Aram, what do you have?" she asked, putting her phone on speakerphone so Ressler could hear.

"Your location is on track 2, a qaurter of a mile down from the tunnel, south side. From what else I could find out, it's a bomb scheduled to go off when the six fifteen train goes past."

"And we're certain it's for that train?" Ressler asked.

"Frost followed Clarke for over a week. He was very meticulous with his schedule...Clarke had the same routine everyday."

"So Frost wants to take out Clarke, but the other passengers on the train have to suffer for it?" Lizzie spoke in a annoyed voice.

"Unfortunately. I've already told Cooper, he's sending SWAT and bomb disposal. ETA 20-30 minutes with rush hour traffic."

Hanging up with a quick bye, Lizzie turned to Ressler. "Do we wait or...?"

"We go and see if we can locate it. It'll save us time. When the bomb squad arrives we'll have less than an hour to evacuate and be able to safely dispose of the bomb."

Noding her agreement, they both grabbed their body armor and radios, and after texting Aram to let him know the plan they headed inside the station. Following the signs, they made it to platform 2. The problem they had now was being able to go down the tracks safely.

"We need to be careful, Keen. The tracks are live...one wrong move and we're both done." Seeing Liz nod her head he continued. "The next train on this platform is due in less than 10 minutes. So be quick but cautious." With that, Ressler jumped down. Taking a big breath, Lizzie joined him. After walking for five minutes, they both knew they had to pick up the pace.

"I don't think we have that far to go now, according to Aram anyway," Liz spoke while looking at the tracks.

While stood still looking around, she could feel vibrations. Checking her phone and noticing she had no signal, she continued looking around her. She was just about to ask Ressler about it when he interupted her.

"I've found it."

Noticing Ressler walk towards her and the vibrations getting worse, Lizzie spoke up. "Wait. Can you feel that?"

Hearing the panic in Lizzie's voice forced Ressler to stop. Noticing it for himself, he started to look around. "Get to the alcove behind you, Keen."

"What about...?"

"There's another one over there. Go quickly!"

Rushing as carefully as she could, Liz squeezed herself into the alcove. Hearing the train coming, Liz closed her eyes and couldn't help but hold her breath as well. She didn't think of anything. It was like her mind went blank. After the train had passed, she took a couple of breaths and opened her eyes. Realishing she was rubbing her scar, she stopped and stepped out of the alcove. Looking for Ressler, she found him already back looking at the bomb. She started towards him and realized her legs were shaking. Closing her eyes and taking as much of a deep breath she could in a dirty tunnel, she opened her eyes and started walking towards him. "So what do you think? Can it be disarmed before the train gets here?"

Looking at it, it was the shape and size of an old vhs tape, with some wires hanging from it. After only having experienced a bomb once it had gone off- apart from the one strapped to little Beth- this was new territory for Lizzie. But then she had had Red on a phone telling her everything was going to be alright. She could do with another phone call from him right now, letting her know she was going to be ok...that everything would be ok. Shaking thoughts of Red away, she tried to concentrate on here and now and the dangerous situation she found herself in. She needed to ignore the fact that she thought of Red at all and that she had been doing it for a while...especially during The Stewmaker case. Shaking her head again- which didn't help the headache- she turned back to Ressler, who tried to explain the situation.

"From what I can see, there's hardly any parts. So when it went off it'd be hard for us to piece it back together." Seeing that Liz was understanding what he was saying, he continued. "But I can also see that it's only attached to the track with duck tape."

"Seriously? You go to all this trouble and you stick it down with duck tape?" Seeing the serious look on Ressler's face and once again realising that she could never have a joke with him, Liz went back to the topic at hand.

"So can we just peel it off and move it? Is it safe for us to do that?" she asked, noticing the countdown on the bomb was showing 10 minutes.

"If there's no boobie traps, yeah we can. How long til the bomb squad gets here?"

Getting the radio from her pocket, Liz asked for an ETA and checked her watch at the same time. She could feel the sweat starting to run down her back. She couldn't wait for this day to be over. She just wanted a shower some food and to curl up on her couch with Tom and Hudson.

"The bomb squad is ten minutes out and the train is due in five. Cooper's already on the phone with Mtrack. He can slow it down, but not stop it."

So what, that pushes the train to arrive at the same time as the bomb squad?"

"Yeah." With that, Ressler pulled out his knife and started cutting the tape away.

"What are you doing?"

"Contact Aram, see what's on the other side of the tunnel. We don't have time to wait for anyone. We need this bomb away from here and away from us."

Seeing Ressler carefully pick up the bomb and start walking down the tunnel, Liz followed while speaking to Aram. When they were nearly at the end of the tunnel, Liz finished her call. "We've got two minutes and Aram said it should just be a parking lot and some abandoned buildings. He's evacuating the surrounding area."

Coming out of the building they turned right. As they approached a low fence, Ressler turned to Liz. "I'm going to pass you the bomb carefully, and once I'm over the fence, pass it back to me."

Trying to control the shaking of her hands, Liz accepted the bomb. Once he was over the fence, Ressler reached back for it. "Stay here."

"You've got 50 seconds," Liz called to him. Seeing Ressler break into a light jog, she called back to him. "30 seconds!"

Looking back at Liz and seeing how far he was from the tracks, Ressler threw the bomb as far as he could and starting running back towards Liz.

"10 seconds!" As soon as the words left her lips the bomb went off.

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**A/N**

**Once again, a huge thank you to Thousand_miles for the support and advice, and to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta.**

**Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing.**

**The Lizzington is coming folks!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Groaning, Liz tried to stand up but stopped when she felt the train going past her. Chuckling and thinking that they had done it, she started calling out for Ressler.

"Rez! Hey Rez, where are you?"

Hearing some groaning, Liz climbed over the fence and found him straight away. Seeing Ressler roll over onto his back she released a breath. No serious injuries. Reaching him, Liz put her hand on his shoulder and started talking to him. "Hey Ressler can you hear me?"

"Yes, you and the ringing in my ears."

Giving him a small laugh, she watched as he sat up. "Are you hurt anywhere?" She couldn't see any obvious signs that he was hurt.

"No, but i'm sure my body will feel like I got hit by a train later. How about you?"

Liz laughed at his attempt at humour. "Just a headache, I'll be fine."

Before Liz could speak, both of their cells started ringing. She checked her ID and saw that it was Tom. Looking over Ressler's shoulder, she could see his was Cooper. Thinking that she had the better of the callers, she answered. "Tom, hey."

"Liz, when will you be home? Are you working a case?"

Noticing how dry Tom was put Liz on edge. "I should be wrapping it up soon. I don't know how long it'll be though."

"Your dinner's in the oven. I won't wait up" With that, Tom hung up.

Liz looked at the phone like it was crazy. She didn't know why he was acting like that. Thinking of the date and if it had some importance, she couldn't come up with anything. If anything she should be acting like that with him. She still needed to decide what she was gonna do with the gun and passports she'd found. Hearing Ressler coming towards her, she put her phone away and turned to him with a smile. "So, how much trouble are we in?"

"Apart from the damage we caused just now, not much. Cooper's got agents bringing Clarke and Mayor Jackson in."

Thinking of what Red told her about Clarke plus what he didn't -she could figure out for herself that it wasn't good- she was glad. She hated people who thought that they could get away with murder. It also got her thinking of Frost and there was something that just wouldn't leave her alone, so she decided to voice it out loud to Ressler. "You know after everything we've been through today, there's still one thing that's bothering me."

"What's that?"

Seeing that she had piqued his interest, she continued. "Frost...the way we were able to find him and arrest him...it was all too easy."

Ressler nodded and let her continue her thoughts.

"You read his file. After everything he's done and all the years he's been doing it, we were able to catch him within 24 hours of knowing of his existence? It was too easy."

"So what, you think he's got a plan?"

"Wouldn't you? If I was him, I'd have a fail safe in place."

She was thinking like a criminal now, something that Red had told her to do, and it worked. Liz knew something was going to happen, when and how she didn't know, but she was positive that it would. She'd go through everything they had on Frost when they got back to the Post Office. Liz knew she should go home, but with Tom's attitude on the phone, she was too tired for arguments. All she wanted was a shower and some food.

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**A/N **

I know this chapter is small, I'll be posting chapter 7 within the next few hours. I think it's the chapter most of you have been waiting for!

A huge thanks to Thousand_miles for the support and advice, and to jadenanne7 for being a terrific beta!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was just past midnight when Liz walked through the front door. Having eaten on her way home and in no mood to go upstairs, Liz made her way to the couch. Hudson came to greet her, and after patting his head, Liz lay down on the couch, pulling the blanket down off the back. Closing her eyes, she felt Hudson join her. Putting her arm around him, Liz closed her eyes and tried to get a few hours of sleep before she had to face Tom.

Waking up, Liz stretched and checked the time and saw that it was just after 7am. Sitting up and rubbing her face she saw Hudson sleeping on the floor by the couch. The house was quiet... too quiet. Standing up, she walked upstairs and to her room. The room was empty and the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in. She decided not to think about where her husband was and had been, knowing that she'd end up with too many questions and not enough answers. She decided to shower and take Hudson for a walk, needing to not think for awhile after what she'd been through this week. She deserved a break.

After she was showered and dressed, Liz put her hair up and headed downstairs. Grabbing her keys, wallet, and leash, she called for Hudson, and hearing him come running to her she smiled. "How about a nice long walk?"

Getting a bark in return, they left the house and headed towards the park, passing a coffee stand on the way. After walking around for awhile, Liz headed for a bench, sitting down to people watch.

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While she was walking through the park with her dog, Red, Kate noticed Liz sitting on a bench. She thought she looked even better than the picture her dad had shown her. Looking behind her, she could see that Luli had noticed Liz too and was shaking her head, like she knew what Kate was about to do. Smiling at Luli, Kate bent down and spoke to Red.

"Okay, behind me is someone very special to Dad, someone I've not been able to meet until now. Dad's gonna be pissed at me, but that's fine, he'll understand...I hope."

Seeing that Luli was taking her phone out and was no doubt going to call her dad, she looked back to Red and adjusted his red bandana around his neck. Standing up, Kate started walking towards Liz.

While people watching, Liz noticed a girl a few years younger than her with blonde curly hair and a German Shepard dog approaching. When the girl reached her she smiled.

"Hi, do you mind if I join you?"

Liz, seeing the shy smile, nodded her head. Once the girl was seated, Liz noticed the girl's dog and Hudson assessing each other. After a tap to the head, the girl's dog sat down and put his head on her lap. Stroking his head, she turned to Liz. "I'm Kate," she said, holding out her hand and smiling.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate could see that Luli was still on her phone. Feeling Liz shake her hand shook her out of her thoughts of how mad her dad surely was.

"Liz, and who's your dog?"

"This is Red." Hearing his name, Red barked and Liz laughed. Kate knew why she was laughing, but played along. "What's funny?" She threw in a confused look, but made sure she didn't overdo it.

"It's nothing. I have a friend called Red, and if you knew him..." Taking a deep breath and getting her laughter under control she continued. "He wouldn't be impressed with having a dog named after him."

"That's a weird name."

"Oh no, it's a nickname." Seeing Kate nod her head, Liz asked some more questions. "So why the name Red?" Again the dog barked upon hearing his name, so Liz reached out and patted his head.

"When I got him from the kennels, he was wearing this red bandana and I thought it was cute." She was only partially lying to Liz, she bought the bandana the second time she went to see him. "What about your dog?"

"This is Hudson."

Kate reached over to stroke him. Before Liz could continue with her questions, Kate's cell started to ring. Pulling out her phone, Kate knew who it was without looking. Sighing, Kate ignored it, knowing she was in trouble no matter what she did now. But she really wanted to meet Liz. She wanted to meet the woman who had captured her father's heart. Liz was the first and most definitely the only woman in years who had been able to do so.

"Everything ok?" Hearing Kate sigh before ignoring the call brought out the agent in Liz.

"Yeah, just a very overprotective father. I'll call him later."

Looking at her, Liz could tell she was telling the truth.

"Oh my dad's the same way. Even when I moved away he would call all the time, and with my career it only got worse."

"What do you do?"

"I work for the FBI." Liz always liked to see people's reactions, when they found out what see did for a living. Kate's shocked her.

"That's so cool." Smiling, she continued. "What do you do in the FBI?"

Seeing that smile reminded Liz of Red. Shaking thoughts of Red away, she answered. "I'm a profiler."

"Like that TV show Criminal Minds?"

Chuckling, Liz replied. "Yeah, but it's a bit different. What about you, what do you do?"

"Nothing at the moment. I'm still undecided as to what I want to do, so I volunteer in kennels. I love animals." Kate hated having to lie to Liz, but she couldn't come out and say 'my dad's a criminal and the whole world thinks i'm dead so I can't work'.

Kate pushed her hair behind her ear and chewed her lip, and again Liz was reminded of Red. She also noticed the scar that ran down the side of her face.

"That's great. Maybe you could be a vet! But what you're doing now...it's great that you're helping all those animals." Hearing Kate's phone ringing again, Liz looked at her watch and noted that she'd been there for a couple of hours. It was time to head home. "It was great meeting you, but I better head home and you need to call your dad before he starts to worry."

Kate agreed with her, even though she didn't want their time together to end. She didn't know if it would ever happen again. Kate got off the bench and turned to Liz, holding out her hand. "It was great meeting you. Maybe I'll see you here again."

Rising and shaking Kate's hand, Liz thought that it was great to forget about everything for awhile. "I'm not here all the time, but if I am it'll be on the weekends. Nice meeting you Kate, and hopefully I'll see you around."

Watching Liz walk away with Hudson, Kate sat back down on the bench. A few minutes later, Luli sat next to her.

"How much trouble am I in?"

"At the moment ,a lot. But knowing your father, once he calms down you'll be fine. We need to head back...he wasn't happy you ignored his calls." Seeing Kate's sad face, Luli tried to reassure her. "Just tell him why you did it and everything will be fine. Agent Keen doesn't know who you are. That'll help."

Sighing and deciding it was time to face her father, Kate stood up and started walking back to the house with Red and Luli.

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When Liz got home, she noticed that Tom still wasn't home, and when she tried his phone it went straight to voicemail. Trying not to get angry, Liz headed to the kitchen. After giving Hudson some food and water, Liz made herself some lunch and decided to do the paperwork she brought home.

A few hours later, Liz was awoken by the sound of the front door closing. Realising she'd fallen asleep at the table, Liz sorted all her paperwork before going to confront Tom. She found him in their bedroom.

"Where have you been?"

"Out."

Liz looked at Tom, wondering why he was being like this. "What's wrong Tom, why are you acting like this?"

"Hurts, doesn't it? Only getting one word answers and not knowing where I am... That's how I feel when you don't tell me things."

Liz felt as if she'd been slapped. "The reason I can't tell you those things is cause they are confidential and..."

Tom cut her off. "Ah yes, the FBI, the job that wouldn't be put first and wouldn't stop us from having a family," Tom said with a sneer. Liz looked at him like she didn't even know who she was talking to...like he had two heads.

"It's a new job, one I didn't think I'd have. I just need to get myself into a routine..."

Again, Tom cut her off. "Well I'm sick of the job and it's only been a few months." When he moved towards Liz, still with an angry look on his face, Liz took a step back. "You need to decide Liz, the FBI, or me and our future." Getting no answer from Liz, Tom spoke again. "What's it gonna be, Liz?"

Liz couldn't answer. She felt like she'd been blindsided by this whole conversation. Why couldn't she have both? All she'd ever wanted was to work in the FBI and have a family. Biting her lip and knowing that answer wasn't going to be good enough, Liz looked at Tom and realized that she didn't know if she wanted that future with him anymore. Did she love him? Yes. Did she trust him? Liz didn't know anymore, and after finding the box and his attitude recently, Liz didn't think she did.

Tom, not getting any answers, spoke again. "Well that's great, Liz. That silence just answered it all for me." He walked past her, and a minute later Liz heard the front door slam.

Shaking herself, Liz realized that she couldn't stay in the house. She didn't want to be there if and when Tom returned. Going downstairs and grabbing her jacket and keys, she called for Hudson and they both left the house. Liz sat in her car, not knowing where to go. She wanted silence, but she also wanted to talk to someone who would listen and not judge. Knowing where she was going, Liz started her car and headed for the writer's house...to Red.

Arriving at the house, Liz got out of the car and looked up and saw the lights were on. Knowing someone was home, she began walking up the stairs, pulling Hudson along with her, and approached Red's door. Knocking, she heard footsteps a few seconds later. It was Red who opened the door, and he just looked at her, waiting for her to talk.

"I had a fight with Tom. I didn't know where else to go."

Stepping back, Red let her walk in. Closing the front door, he followed her to the lounge. He took Hudson off his leash, and he curled up by Liz's feet. Once sitting, Red turned and looked at her. Seeing her so upset broke his heart. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be ok, but to do that, he needed to know what had happened. "What did you argue about?"

Liz turned to him. "He doesn't like the hours I keep and that I can't tell him what I'm working on. Then he started talking about us having kids."

"You don't want that anymore?"

Red's gentle voice was beginning to calm her. He was actually listening and not being 'Red', she realized. He was being Raymond,the man who wasn't self-centered and didn't only care about himself.

"I don't know...maybe in the future. After everything that's happened with Tom getting hurt and then finding the box and his attitude lately, I don't know if I want that future with him. I don't know if I can trust him."

Before Red could speak or Liz could carry on talking the front door opened and closed. Liz noticed the panicked look that appeared on Red's face. Turning to the door, she waited to see who was going to walk through it.

"Hey Dad, ca..."

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**A/N**

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, there's plenty more to come!

Thanks to everyone reading/reviewing/following this story. It means so much to me.

A huge thanks as always to Thousand_miles for the support and advice, and to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Sorry for the long delay in posting chapters, especially after the little cliffhanger. I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter 8

Liz looked to Red and then to the person who had just walked in with a very familiar dog. Red looked panicked and Kate looked scared.

"What the hell's going on?" Liz asked, sounding confused.

Father and daughter looked at each other, and finally it was Red who decided to speak.

"Lizzie, I believe you met Kate today." There was panic in his voice. Seeing the look she shot him he tried again...maybe less sarcasm would help. "Lizzie, this is my daughter, Kate Reddington." His voice still sounded panicked and Red hated that. But this, having Kate and Lizzie in the same room, was something he didn't expect to happen- at least not so soon.

Kate shot a nervous smile and a timid wave to Liz. "Hi."

Liz, still looking to the both of them, thought how this wasn't possible- she had read his file. But then she properly looked at Kate and she was starting to see the similarities...the same green eyes, the hair color, the mouth. "Yeah," she thought to herself, "they definitely look alike, could she really be Red's daughter?"

"I've read your file Red. Your family is dead." Liz admitted to herself that it came out quite blunt, and seeing the face Kate made made her want to apologize, but she needed to know what was going on.

"Kate, Pumpkin, why don't you take Red and Hudson for a walk?" Seeing that she was about to protest, Red continued. "Take Dembe with you."

"Yes Dad, " Kate replied sadly. She wanted to stay, but she knew that her father was about to tell Liz what had happened, and he hated speaking about it in front of Kate, much less at all. Giving her father a kiss on the cheek, she waited for Liz to put Hudson on his leash, grabbing it when she was done. Saying a soft bye to Liz she walked out the door. Whistling, Kate waited for Red to join her before leaving with Dembe.

Turning to Liz, Red wasn't sure how to begin. Chewing his lip and pacing, he decided to tell her as much as he could.

"My file is a lie...well... most of it. The stuff about my family is. It needs to stay that way. Do you understand that Lizzie? Everything. What you've just seen in the last 5 minutes and what I tell you now can never be spoken- it will always have to be a secret. Can you do that? Can you lie to the FBI? To your friends and to Tom?" Red asked seriously as he joined Lizzie on the couch.

Wincing when he mentioned Tom, Liz thought about what he'd just said. Could she do it? Could she willingly lie to everyone she knew? But then she thought about it...she would be lying to protect Red's daughter, an innocent girl. She knew that yes, she could do it. Plus, Red was the only person she knew she could trust with her life and her secrets at the moment.

"Yes, Red. Everything you tell me will remain between me and you."

Looking at her and seeing the truth, Red nodded his head and tried to decide how he was going to start his story.

"It was Christmas eve. I was on my way home and I ran out of gas. I was so excited to get home that I didn't even check. I just wanted to see Kate and my wife." Red coughed as he struggled to speak. Seeing this, Liz reached out to hold his hand, squeezing it. Red continued. "I had to pull over. There was no one around, just me and a car full of gifts stuck in the snow. I left them in the car and started walking. I must've walked for five miles at least." Getting up, Red poured himself a drink, and after downing it in one gulp, he refilled it and poured one for Lizzie. Sitting back on the couch, he passed one to her and retook her hand, lacing their fingers together. "It was so quiet...all I could hear were my breaths and the steps I was taking. All I could think about was getting home to my family, knowing that they were at home waiting for me." Taking a mouthful of his drink, he looked at Lizzie out of the corner of his eye and could see that she was profiling him, maybe making sure he was telling the truth. He decided that it didn't matter. She knew him well enough to know that he was being truthful. "I don't know how long it took me, but I'd finally arrived and I could see that the lights were on and there was a fire going. I couldn't wait to get out of the cold. I walked through the door and all I could see was blood. It was everywhere." Finishing his drink, Red rubbed his face and he felt like crying. Taking a deep breath he continued in the same detached voice he'd been using. "I must have interrupted them...whoever did it. All I saw was The Stewmaker standing over my daughter's body, taking a goddamn picture. When he saw me he ran, and I had to make a choice...give chase or go to my daughter. I chose my daughter."

Seeing how upset he was getting Lizzie tried to speak, but Red wouldn't let her.

"If I don't tell you now, I never will Lizzie." She squeezed his hand in understanding.

"So I went to my daughter...there was blood all over her face and in her hair. She'd been shot to the side of her head, but she still had a pulse. So I took off my sweater and put it on her wound and I picked up her little body and ran for my wife's car. I drove for miles. I went to a doctor...well...ex-doctor, who I met while working intelligence. He did everything he could with what he had and then we went to a safe house. He watched her while I contacted all the criminals I'd met while working undercover until I had enough funds and the best doctors working on her. She didn't wake up for two weeks and then even after that I was told she might have problems growing up. I didn't care, as long as she was alive. My little girl was my world and she still is."

Seeing that Red was finished giving his story, Liz downed her drink and almost choked on the lump that was in her throat.

"What happened to your wife?"

"I don't know, by the time Kate was relatively out of the woods it was already out that I was missing and that they were dead. I couldn't go back home, so I had to start from scatch. I had to start a new family with just me and Kate."

"How don't you know?"

"Because I still don't know who took my family away from me. I don't know who tried to kill my daughter. I've been trying to find out for the past 20 years and I'll keep looking until the day I die."

"But...that's it..." Liz whispered and covered her mouth, causing Red to turn to her quickly.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"The picture... the missing evidence. That was a..."

Realising what she was talking about, Red cut her off.

"A picture of Kate? Yes it was. You have to understand, Lizzie, if people knew of Kate being alive, she'd be a bigger target than me. Why kill me when you could kill my daughter and make me suffer?"

After hearing the story, Liz could understand why the world thought Red had done something to his family. She didn't blame him for wanting to keep Kate safe and she made her own promise that if anyone ever found out, it wouldn't be from her.

Hearing the front door open, Lizzie composed herself. She didn't feel pity for Kate and she wanted to make sure her body language didn't show it either. Seeing Red the dog come through the door followed by Hudson, Liz couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" That was Red...always curious.

"I just realized that your daughter named her dog after you." She laughed some more when Red shot her a look.

"He's named Red because people hear that name and think of a bad guy...a criminal. When I hear it, I think protector." Seeing the look Red give Kate after her speech, Lizzie had to stop herself from saying 'aww'. Seeing Red as a father was something Liz couldn't wait to see. Kate headed towards Red and kissed his cheek.

"I'm off to bed, night guys!"

"Night Pumpkin."

Just hearing Red use a sweet nickname for his daughter made Lizzie realize that she was seeing Raymond, not Red. It also made her realize that he'd been Raymond the whole evening.

"Night Kate." Giving Kate a warm smile as she walked out the room with Red the dog following, Lizzie looked at her watch and realized how late it was. But she didn't want to go home. Red, seeing her look at her watch, stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her along to his bedroom.

"Red... what?"

"You can stay here tonight and figure out what you want to do tomorrow." Seeing Lizzie about to protest, he spoke first. "Relax, Lizzie. I don't sleep that much, so I'll be fine on the couch." He moved into his room and grabbed some clothes she could sleep in. Handing them to her, he kissed her forehead and walked out the room, turning around to say goodnight.

"Night Red...and thanks."

"Anytime, Lizzie" Red said, closing the door softly behind him.

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**A/N **

**A big thank you to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta. And a big thanks to everyone reading and/or reviewing.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Walking into the kitchen, Kate was greeted by her father. "Morning, Pumpkin." Pulling Kate into his arms, he hugged her and dropped a kiss to her head.

"Good morning, Daddy." Returning his hug, Kate stayed in his arms for a few more seconds. If there was once place on earth that Kate felt safe, it was with her father...even more so when he hugged her.

Pulling back, Red looked at his daughter. He knew that they needed to have a talk about Lizzie. He wanted them both to meet, he just never imagined that it would happen this quickly. "I wanted to talk to you about Lizzie." Getting Kate a glass of apple juice, he continued, "I know we've already talked about what you did at the park." At that, Kate gave her dad a sheepish smile. "But it's happened, you've met her, and I can't change that. But now that Lizzie knows who you really are, you can't be seen out in public with her." Seeing her smile drop, Red quickly added, "Not all the time, anyway. People would start asking questions and I don't want Lizzie to have to lie for us."

"I understand Dad, I really do. But I like Liz. I see the way you are around her and it's different." Seeing her father's look, she clarified, "A good difference...a great difference. You're happy when you're with her and you're more relaxed."

"I'm like that with you." Red didn't think he was ready for this conversation with his daughter

"That's different. I'm your daughter. But when you're with Liz, it's like you're a different person and I think it's great. I think you two would be perfect together."

"Kate."

Ignoring the warning in his voice, Kate continued with her explanation. "You flirt with her and you always try to touch her, and you also make sure you're as close to her as you can be, without making it obvious...which is very cute by the way."

"How do you know this?" Red asked, a faint blush on his face.

"I'm 28, Dad, I know what to look for. Plus...I saw it myself last night. Also, Dembe and Luli love to talk." Smiling, Kate decided to go easy on her dad, even if she thought his blush was cute. "Don't worry, Liz is the same with you. She's always looking at your lips when she talks to you. She flirts with you."

Red didn't know what to say to any of what his daughter had just told him. Could it be true? Does Lizzie flirt with me? He knew that she always looked at his lips when he spoke, but he never noticed the other things. When he looked back at Kate, she was smiling at him.

"I want you to be happy, Dad. I want you to think of a future where it isn't just me and you. With Liz you could be happy and have a future with her." When Kate finished speaking, she got up and went to give her father a hug. "I'm starving...what's for breakfast?"

With the abrupt change of subject, Red laughed and started tickling his daughter until she was crying with laughter.

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Liz woke to the sound of laughter, something that never happened unless she'd fallen asleep with the TV on. Turning to look at the clock on the bedside table, she inhaled Red's scent...it was all over the bed. She loved the smell of him. Looking at the clock, she noticed that it was just after 8am. She also noticed that Hudson wasn't in the room with her anymore. Deciding it was time to get up, she headed to the bathroom first and took care of her business, and while washing her hands she noticed the state of her hair. She looked around and didn't find anything, so she took the bobble off her wrist and finger combed her hair. Looking some what decent, she left the bathroom and the bedroom still wearing Red's clothes. She didn't want to take them off...they smelled like him and it comforted her. The sound of laughter led her to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Lizzie." Liz didn't think she'd ever heard Red sound this happy, and she was so shocked to see Red dressed in jeans and a jumper that it took her a while to reply.

"Good morning Red, Kate." Giving them both a smile she made her way to the coffe, but Red handed her a cup and led her to the table. Kate seeing this as the perfect chance to start the progress of getting her dad and Lizzie together spoke

"Morning, Liz," she said, shooting Liz her best smile. "Do you mind, when you're with me, calling Dad Raymond or Ray? I'm not really fond of that nickname, plus Red the dog would get confused." Red shot his daughter a discreet look, knowing what she was trying to do, but this was one thing he didn't mind her doing. He wanted Lizzie, and if his daughter was going to help him, it meant she liked her.

"Uh sure...it might take me a while to get use to it though." Giving Kate a hesitant smile, Liz thought it would definitely take her a while to get use to it. Deciding to change the subject before it got uncomfortable, Red spoke. "How about omletes for breakfast?"

"Yes, please Dad," Kate replied as she got up to get a drink of apple juice.

"That would be great. Thanks Re.. Ray." Liz couldn't help thinking how weird that felt.

Red loved the sound of his name coming from Lizzie. Seeing his daughter smirk as she walked past him, he nudged her back to her seat.

"Have you taken your pills this morning, Pumpkin?" Seeing her guilty look, Red sighed and went to the cabinet to get them. Looking to Liz, Kate saw her confused look and explained.

"Ever since this," she pointed to her scar, "I get migraines. Taking these help...I normally only get mild headaches with them." Taking the pills off her dad, she took them. Kate spoke in a detached voice, just like Red had last night, but Liz could tell that even the mild headaches hurt her. "Can I have extra cheese in mine, Dad?" Kate sounded happier when she spoke now.

"Sure thing, Pumpkin. What about you, Lizzie...what fillings do you want?"

"Anything but peppers please, Ray."

Nodding, Red turned back to preparing breakfast. Liz noticed the pleased smile on Red's face when she called him Ray, and she decided she liked saying it too.

Noticing that Hudson wasn't circling her feet, Liz turned to Kate. "Where are the dogs?"

"They're in my room. Dembe and I are gonna take them to the park after breakfast. Dembe's been training Red, so I thought it'd be fun for Hudson to do it too. Plus he'd be able to protect you if anything was to happen," Kate responded with a smile.

Liz was going to protest, but seeing that smile and the one Red gave Kate stopped her. Liz thought about it and decided that it would be good to have more security at home.

"Here we go ladies." Red served breakfast with a flourish. "Enjoy."

While eating breakfast, Red continued a conversation with Kate about where to go for their next vacation. They both involved Liz in the conversation, and Liz couldn't remember the last time she had fun eating breakfast. When breakfast was done and Red got up to do the dishes, Liz joined him, ignoring his protests that she was a guest, and started to clear the table. Kate called for Dembe, who arrived a few seconds later with both dogs following.

"Are you ready, Miss Kate?"

Liz loved what Dembe called Kate, it showed politeness and his love for her.

"Nearly." Saying that, Kate twirled her finger and Dembe laughed and turned around, waiting for Kate to jump on his back. Once she was settled, Dembe turned to face Red and Liz.

"See ya later Dad. Bye Liz!" Kate said with a huge smile on her face, then she and Dembe left the room with the dogs following.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Red went back to the dishes. "Kate has everyone in this family wrapped around her finger. Be careful Lizzie, you'll be next"

"I don't mind." Smiling and getting back to the dishes, Liz thought it'd be nice to have someone need her. Red, seeing that she meant what she said, gave her a smile. After the dishes were done, Red made himself some tea and a coffee for Liz and lead her to the lounge. Sitting down, he turned to Liz and asked the question that would change their happy mood.

"Have you decided what you're going to do,Lizzie?"

Liz was going to ask what he was talking about, but then she remembered. Tom. The smile left her face. Liz had forgotten all about Tom. She felt so comfortable with Red and his daughter that she had forgotten about her troubles.

Red, seeing her reaction to his question, spoke again. "You know you're more than welcome to stay with me and Kate for however long you want, Lizzie." Red added a wistful forever in his head.

"I know...and thank you, Red, it's nice to know I can go somewhere and just be myself without any worries. But I think I need to go home. I need to know what's going on with Tom, and then maybe I'll start making some decisions."

Once Kate and Dembe returned home an hour later, Liz had already showered and changed and was ready to leave, even if her heart was telling her to stay. Taking Hudson off of Kate, Liz gave her a hug and with a smile to Red, she left.

Watching Lizzie leave, Red lost his smile. He thought about everything that had happened that day. It was one of best days Red had had in a long time. Even waking up on the couch with backache didn't bother him, especially after peeking his head in his room and seeing Lizzie fast asleep in his bed. Her interaction with Kate had been great too. Seeing them get along was one thing that Red had always wanted and what he always worried about before they had met. Seeing Kate talking and laughing with a woman who wasn't her grandmother or Luli made Red happy. He'd always worried that his need to protect and keep Kate a secret would hold her back, but he never really had to worry about his little girl. She was his star and she always shined. Hoping Liz would be okay once she got back home, Red got up to check on his daughter and to see what they could have for dinner.

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On her drive home, Liz prepared herself mentally for another showdown with Tom. Her heart had gone silent when it came to Tom now, and her mind was telling her she didn't trust him...that he was hiding something from her. She also couldn't decide if she was going to mention the box, but then she thought about asking Red if he could get her the information she needed. What he'd get wouldn't be classified. She decided that that was what she'd do. She wouldn't mention the box and see if Red could get her the evidence she needed. Pulling up to her house, Liz breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed all the lights were off. She turned to Hudson and smiled. "Alright buddy, it's just you and me. How about some take away and Netflix?" Hudson just tilted his head. "Yeah I think it's a great idea too." Nodding and taking a deep breath, Liz got out of the car and headed to the house.

After watching Criminal Minds for a few hours, (which reminded Liz of Kate) and being stuffed with chinese food, Liz and Hudson were both napping on the couch when the front door was slammed shut. Jumping, Liz reached for her gun and Hudson started to bark. Tom stumbled through the doorway and stopped when he saw the gun.

"You gonna shoot me, Liz?" He slurred his words and Liz realised he'd been drinking. She watched as Tom walked further into the room and braced himself on a chair.

"Are you drunk?" As she spoke, she put her gun in the back of her pants. Looking at her watch, Liz noticed it was just after 1am.

"Well done. Let's give the profiler a prize." Tom was clapping as he spoke.

"Tom wha..."

Tom cut her off. "So have you made your decision, Liz?" When Liz just looked at him, he spoke again. "What's it gonna be, me or the FBI?"

"Can we just talk about this when you're sober? We can discuss it and figure it out like adults." Again, before Liz could finish, Tom cut her off. Liz was starting to get pissed as Tom continued to interrupt and mock her.

"There shouldn't be anything to talk about. It's a simple question, there should be a simple answer." Tom raised his voice towards the end and took a few steps towards her. Liz felt herself go stiff, ready to grab her gun if she had to, but she tried to reason with him

"If we could discuss this...I shouldn't need to make a decision, Tom!"

"You know what...forget it." Turning around, Tom walked upstairs and slammed their bedroom door shut.

Sitting back down on the couch, Liz stared at her hands and realized that they were shaking. Whether it was in shock or anger she didn't know. Slumping her shoulders and leaning back against the couch, she pulled Hudson to her and whispered. "I guess it really is just you and me."

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**A/N Sorry for the delay in updating.**

**A big thank you to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta and a huge thanks to everyone reading and/or reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Waking up to her phone alarm at 7 am, Liz groaned. That sofa was not for sleeping on. As she sat up and tried to stretch out the kinks in her back, Liz realized that the house was silent. Hoping she wouldn't have to deal with Tom again, Liz got up to have a shower and get ready for work. Once dressed, Liz tried to hide the bags under her eyes with makeup. It looked alright, but she knew if she saw Red he'd see through it straight away. Liz headed downstairs to feed Hudson, and dropping a kiss to his head, she left for work.

When she arrived at the Post Office, Liz went straight to her office, intending to finish the paperwork that she had started at home. She had completed two of the five files that had to be done when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Looking up, she saw Red. She could tell he was assessing her, and she knew he saw right through her makeup and the smile she gave him.

"How about a coffee break, Lizzie? I know this fabulous little hole in the wall that serves the best pastries." Tapping his fedora on his thigh, Red waited for her answer, expecting her to turn him down like she had in the past, but hoping after this past weekend she'd say yes.

Liz looked at him and was about to say no, but she knew she could be herself with Red, plus she hadn't had breakfast and her stomach chose that moment to remind her.

"Sure, just give me second to save this." With her head down, Liz didn't see the sweet smile Red had on his face.

Getting up and grabbing her things, she left her office with Red following. He put his hand on her back, leading her to the elevator. He was about to speak when they were interrupted by Ressler.

"Do we have a case, Reddington?"

"We might. I'll be discussing it with Lizzie. I'll have her back in a bit." Putting pressure on the bottom of her back, he continued to walk to the elevator.

"Do we have a case, Red?"

"No, that was just an excuse for Donald to leave you alone for a while."

Hearing that, Liz let out a relieved sigh, one that Red heard.

Exiting the elevator, they headed for Red's car. Dembe saw them approaching and opened the door for them.

"Morning, Dembe," Liz said, giving him a smile.

"Agent Keen," Dembe replied with a smile and a nod.

Liz got into the car and slid along to the other side and waited for Red to get in. Turning to him, Liz noticed how close they were. She could feel the heat of his thigh against hers. Liz looked at the suit he was wearing...it was the silver/grey one, one of her favourites. She also noticed his tie. It was a striking green color, and it made his eyes stand out. Seeing that Red had caught her staring, she spoke.

"New tie?"

"Yes. Do you like it? Kate got it for me." He touched his tie and smiled when he mentioned his daughter.

"I do. How is Kate?" Liz couldn't wait to see Kate again. She wanted to get to know the girl.

"She's fine. She's spending the day with her Grandmother." Seeing Liz's look, Red added, "A story for another time."

According to Red's file he didn't have any family. She knew that his file had some errors in it, but she couldn't imagine that being one of them. Now she had to know who the grandmother was. She didn't realize that the car had stopped until her door was opened. Liz turned and accepted Red's hand, getting out of the car.

Walking to the cafe, Liz realized they were still holding hands, but instead of letting go, she entwined their fingers together. Feeling a slight squeeze on her fingers, Liz looked to Red and saw that he was smiling. Red opened the door and let Liz walk in first. Still holding her hand, he led her to a table at the back. Picking up a small menu, Liz decided on a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a vanilla latte. When Red asked what she wanted, she told him and he got up to give their orders. Watching him standing there with his hands in his pocket, talking to the cashier, Liz admitted to herself that he looked hot and that she had more than a crush on him. Liz felt no guilt admitting that. When she thought of Tom now, she realized she didn't love him anymore. She cared for him...but that was it. When Red turned to look at her and smiled, she got butterflies in her stomach...something that had never happened before with anyone, not even Tom. Smiling back, she watched Red turn back to the cashier. When Red turned back to the cashier, he couldn't help but think that this was the start of something good between him and Lizzie. The smile she gave him was different from the usual ones. This one had a lot more meaning behind it. Also the fact that she held his hand and the way she was looking at him...maybe Kate was right.

Thanking the cashier, Red made his way back to Lizzie. Red noticed the change in her from when he arrived at the Post Office til now and it made him happy to know that he was the cause of her improving mood. Giving Lizzie her coffee and bagel, Red sat down with his tea and croissant. Wanting to know what happened last night when Liz got home, Red decided to be blunt.

"What happened last night, Lizzie?"

Thankful she hadn't taken a mouthful of her coffee yet, Liz put the cup back down and looked at Red. "Tom came home just before midnight...drunk." Seeing the worried look on Red's face, she continued before he could interrupt her. "He slammed the front door closed. It woke me up and I had my gun out before he could even step into the room." Red nodded. "He wanted to know if I'd made my desicion, and I told him that we would talk when he was sober. He said some things then went to bed and I slept on the couch."

"The next time he starts a argument and he's drunk, I want you to leave and come to me." He saw that Liz was about to protest. "Please, Lizzie, we don't know things about him and until we do, I want you to be safe."

It was the please that made Liz change her mind. Had he ever said please for anything? Nodding her head, Liz agreed. "I promise Red, if anything happens, I'll come to you." Seeing the relieved smile on his face, Liz decided to ask her favor. "I need you to do something for me Red." Getting a raised eyebrow, Liz continued. "I need information on the Angel Station case. What i've been able to get is all retacted. I also need you to help me track the names on the passports."

"I'll get you the case file. Get me a copy of the names and I'll see what I can do." Red was glad that Lizzie was starting to have doubts about Tom. He'd do everything he could to help her get the truth of who he really was.

Liz, noticing the time, decided that,sadly, she had to get back to work. After Red dropped her back at the Post Office, he departed with a squeeze to her hand and a smile. Liz headed inside to finish her paperwork. She was going home at a decent hour, which was something she was dreading.

When Liz did get home it was 6pm. Tom wasn't home yet, so she fed Hudson and let him out in the back yard. Sitting on a lawn chair, she played catch with Hudson until, once again, she was disturbed by the front door slamming shut. There wasn't gonna be a door left if he kept doing that! Getting up and heading inside, she noticed Hudson following her loyally. Once inside,she saw Tom at the fridge, getting a beer. He turned when he heard her come in. Shooting her a sneer, he spoke.

"Well, well, would you look at the time."

Lizzie noticed that he was drunk again, or well on his way to being drunk.

"Tom, I won't talk to you like this. When you're sober we can sit down and discuss this." Before Liz could finish, the bottle of beer Tom was holding suddenly smashed against the wall by her head. Ducking on reflex, Liz turned to look at Tom in stunned shock. He didn't even appear to be sorry for what he had just done.

"We don't need to sit down and discuss this. All you need to do is decide. ME OR THE FBI!"

In all the years Liz had known Tom, he'd never raised his voice once. When Liz didn't reply to his demand, Tom advanced on her and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go,Tom, you're hurting me." Tom didn't let go, instead he applied more pressure. Liz let out a whimper. "Tom, please." Still getting no reaction, Liz kneed him in the groin. Tom let go of Liz as he fell to his knees, releasing a squeek as she took a step back. Seeing Tom start to get back up, Hudson got in front of Liz and started to growl, showing his teeth. Tom paused at that, but then started again. Before he could reach Hudson, Liz pulled out her gun. "Stay where you are Tom...don't make me shoot you!"

Tom took some steps back, and with a huff he turned to leave. "I don't even know who you are anymore," he said as he slammed the door behind him.

Releasing the breath she was holding, Liz slid down to the floor, tears sliding down her face. Hudson went to her and nudged her face. Feeling his wet nose on her face, Liz let out a wet chuckle and put her non-injured arm around him.

"I think it's time we pack our things and go somewhere safe. What do you think?" The reply was a lick to her face.

Packing enough things for her and Hudson, she loaded her car and left. Her wrist was still throbbing and driving wasn't helping it, but she knew that once she got to her destination, things would be alright...she hoped.

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**A/N **

**A big thank you to jadenanne7 for being my beta, and to everyone that's reading and/or reviewing!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Arriving at the address Red had given her for his latest safe house, Liz was in tears. Her wrist was throbbing and it had started to bruise. Turning off the car, Liz got out and grabbed Hudson's lead and one of her bags. Trying not to put anymore pressure on her wrist, she used her hip to close the door, and after locking it she turned and started to make her way up the steps to the front door.

Using her foot to knock the door, she waited for someone to answer and heard footsteps coming a minute later. Dembe answered the door and once he saw the state she was in, he let her in. Grabbing Hudson and her bag he led her through a hallway and into the lounge where she found Red and Kate on the sofa, Kate watching TV and Red doing a crossword with Red the dog asleep at their feet. When he looked up to see who was at the door, Red was shocked to see Lizzie. Getting up from his seat, he approached her

"Lizzie, what happened?" Looking Lizzie over, he noticed the bruising on her wrist and gently took hold of it. He looked at her. "Who did this, Lizzie? Was it Tom?" Red spoke in a deadly serious voice, his body straight like he was ready to attack. Suddenly, Liz burst into tears and Red pulled her into his arms. Seeing his daughter watching and biting her lip in worry, Red spoke. "Kate, why don't you and Dembe take Red and Hudson for a walk..." Seeing that her father didn't even make it a question, but was telling her kindly to go, Kate got up and shook Red awake, and together they left the room with Dembe and Hudson following and closed the door behind them.

Leading Lizzie to the couch, Red still kept his arm around her as they sat down. Liz leaned into Red, placing her head on his shoulder and turning it so she could breathe in his scent, knowing it would help her calm down. Red turned and kissed her head, keeping his head there he spoke.

"What happened, Lizzie?"

"Tom." As soon as Liz said his name she felt Red tense up, but he didn't speak. Liz knew he was waiting for her to continue. "He came home and he'd been drinking. He asked me if I'd made my decision, and when I told him we could talk when he was sober, he grabbed my wrist." Red reached for her injured wrist and ran his fingers softly over the bruising.

"What happened next?" Red asked in a soothing voice.

"I asked him to let go, but instead he added more pressure. I thought he was going to break my arm, so I kneed him in his groin and he let go." Taking a shuddering breath, Red tightened his arm around her shoulder, pulling her more into him. "He got back up and started advancing on me again, so I pulled out my gun and threatened to shoot him if he came any closer. After that he left the house and I decided it wasn't safe for me and Hudson to stay there, so I packed my bags and here I am."

"I'm so glad you came here to me," Red spoke with his lips still pressed to her forehead. Feeling his breath on her, Liz shivered.

"I promised that I would. Besides, I know I'm safe here...with you."

"You always will be." Placing one more kiss to her head, Red pulled back. "I need to check your wrist, Lizzie. I should have done that when you first arrived."

Red slowly lifted Lizzie's wrist, waiting for her to nod. Red began to examine her wrist, getting her to turn it and to make a fist. There was only a slight pain when she turned it. Red started to feel her bones, but when she started to pull her arm back Red stopped.

"I think it's just a really bad sprain, Lizzie. I can't feel any breaks. Stay here. I'm going to get you some ice and something for the pain." Placing a kiss to her forehead, Red got up and left the room. Liz took a look around the room she was in. It was nice, if not a bit more upscale compared to the writer's house, but Red made it look like home...even if he'd only been there less than 24 hours. But the writer's house was still Liz's favourite out of all the safe houses Red had been in since she'd known him. Liz was distracted by a phone lighting up, and seeing that it was showing a picture of Kate on the ID, Liz decided to answer. Before she could even say hello, Kate spoke.

"Is Liz ok? Do I need to send Dembe to kill someone, Dad?" Hearing a muffled objection of 'Miss Kate' in the background, Liz chuckled and spoke.

"I'm ok Kate, and Dembe doesn't need to kill anyone." Liz said the last part with a smile on her lips.

"Are you sure? Cause he would if I asked him to." Liz could tell she was serious. She smiled again, and Red walked back into the room and noticed her smile.

"I'm sure,Kate," Liz chuckled as she replied.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be. Your dad is taking good care of me." Again Liz replied with a smile. Red decided to make himself known. He coughed and walked further into the room, smiling and raising an eyebrow when Lizzie looked at him. "Kate, your dad is here now if you want to speak to him." Speaking to Kate was helping Liz feel less distressed, and she was trying to not let it show, but she was still hurting and she didn't know how long she could keep it in for.

"No, that's ok, I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Kate took a breath and continued. "Dembe and I are on our way back now, but I'm gonna go straight to my room. Hudson can stay with me and Red."

"You don't need to do that, Sweetie." Liz realized what she had called Kate, but hearing no objection from her, she let it be.

"It's fine. Besides, Dembe promised he'd play Mario Kart with me, so we're gonna do that. See ya later, Liz."

"Bye, Kate." Liz hung up with a chuckle.

She looked to Red as he walked towards her. His face was still serious, but Liz could see a smile trying to come through. Joining Lizzie back on the couch, Red held out his hand and handed her some pills, along with a bottle of water. Once she'd taken them, Red took her wrist and placed an ice pack on it. Hearing Lizzie hiss in pain, Red decided to distract her.

"So what did my darling daughter want?"

"She wanted to know if she had to send Dembe to kill anyone." They both laughed at that. "Then she said they were on their way home, and that she and Dembe were going to be playing Mario Kart in her room."

"Yes, that's very Kate. Protecting the people she cares for." Red had a serious look on his face when he said that. Kate only had five people in her life that she cared for...himself, her grandmother, Dembe, Luli and Grey...well, six now if he included Liz, which from the sounds of the phone conversation she had with Lizzie, she did. Thinking of the other part of the conversation brought a confused look to his face. "I have no idea what Mario Kart is, but I'm sure they'll have fun." Liz chuckled, she actually believed him when he said that.

After icing her wrist for 10 minutes, he removed the ice pack and reached for the first aid box. Opening it, he grabbed some bandages and gently took her wrist again. Wrapping it up, he looked up from the corner of his eye to see how she was doing and noticed she was watching him. Once done, Red sat back up and heard the front door closing, followed by a few barks. Red excused himself to say a quick goodnight to Kate.

Entering the room a few minutes later, he found Lizzie slowly falling to sleep on the couch. He approached her and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Hey, it's just me." Waiting for her to settle down, Red stroked his hand up and down her back. Once Lizzie's breathing was back to normal, he reached for her hand and pulled up from the couch. "Why don't I show to your room and you can get some sleep?"

When she nodded, Red led her from the room and up the staircase. Stopping outside a door, he pointed to a few of the rooms.

"Kate's across from you and I'm in the one next to yours." Opening the door, Red waited for Lizzie to enter before stepping in himself. "I had Dembe get the rest of your bags from the car. Let me know if you need anything."

Nodding, Liz looked around the room. Seeing a four poster king-size bed and some drawer units, Liz also noticed it was en suite. She turned and walked back towards Red. Leaning up to kiss him on the cheek goodnight, Red turned at the last second and their lips met. They both continued the kiss. Red was hesitant though. He didn't want to push her too fast. Liz still felt distressed after everything that had happened that night, but the kiss was so gentle that it felt perfect.

"Ray." Pulling back to look at him, Liz cupped his cheek and gave him a slow, delicate smile.

"The things you do to me, Lizzie," Red answered in a deep voice that caused a shiver to go through her.

Still smiling, Liz kissed his cheek like she was trying to do the first time, not that she was complaining. She whispered a soft goodnight against his cheek, and then stepping back and grabbing some of her things, Liz turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Sweet dreams, Sweetheart." Giving him one last smile over her shoulder, Liz closed the bathroom door.

Turning and walking out of her room, Red closed the door and leaned against it. He just kept thinking over and over, 'Wow'. That was how Dembe found him a few minutes later. Walking past him with a smirk he muttered a "Goodnight Raymond", and continued on his way to his room.

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**A/N** **A big thank you to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta, and a huge thank you to everyone reading and/or reviewing.**

**Oh! I also don't own anything but Kate and Red the dog!**


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of Dembe closing his door brought Red out of his thoughts. Walking into his own room, he got ready for bed. Red was never a great sleeper...normally he'd stay in bed and close his eyes but never sleep, but he liked the routine of it. His mind could never shut down enough for him to get a proper sleep. Once changed into dark blue plaid pants and a white t-shirt, Red settled himself in bed. Closing his eyes, Red's mind went back to that kiss. He knew Lizzie would need time before anything else could happen, but he was fine with that. He would do everything in his power for a future with Lizzie, and if that meant time, he'd wait. At the same time, although Lizzie was all he wanted, he was hesitant. Lizzie was good and pure and he'd done stuff he wasn't happy about. He was a criminal, someone that Liz hunted down every day, and he had Kate to consider. He knew she liked Lizzie, but she'd never seen her father in a relationship. Could she handle that? Would she be alright with sharing her dad with someone else? These were questions that needed to be asked and answered.

After a few hours, Red got up and decided to check on Kate, something he had done every night since she was born, but since that night more than twenty years ago, he did it out of fear of losing her again. She was so used to him checking on her that it didn't even wake her up anymore. Red peeked his head in her room and quietly chuckled at the sight of her on the side of her bed, sleeping with her arms around Red and Hudson curled into the back of her legs. Hudson raised his head, but apon seeing who it was, he went back to sleep. Red left Kate's room and closed the door part way. Walking to Lizzie's room and opening the door softly, Red noticed that Lizzie was thrashing around the bed and starting to moan like she was in pain...having a nightmare. Walking to her, Red put his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently, and when that didn't work, Red shook her with a bit more force, repeating her name.

Waking up with a gasp, Liz tried to hit whoever was holding her, but Red quickly restrained her, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her down on the bed.

"It's me, Lizzie, it's Red," Red reassured her in a soft voice, and once Liz realised it was him, she went slack in his arms and started to cry. "Shh, everything is going to be ok. I've got you." Pulling himself and Lizzie into a more comfortable position, Red waited for her to calm down. When he was about to speak, Liz beat him to it.

"It was about Tom. I couldn't stop him and he hurt more than just my wrist." Liz mumbled the last part as sleep was beginning to take her again. Feeling Red move, she tightened her arms around him. "Will you stay with me Red? I don't want to be alone."

"Of course. Go to sleep,Lizzie. I'm not going anywhere." Leaning back on a pillow, Red closed his eyes and held the woman he loved as she slept.

Waking a few hours later, Red was surprised he'd actually slept. Seeing it was just before 5am, Red turned and looked at Lizzie. She looked relaxed as she slept...no sign of any nightmares. Her head was on his chest, and he was holding her. Red turned and just looked at her for a few more minutes, thinking of how perfect it was to hold the women he loved as she slept. He could get use to it. In fact, he already was. Deciding it was time for him to get up, Red carefully moved from the bed, making sure not to wake Lizzie. He kissed her forehead and left the room...he had a lot of things to do and people to see and he wanted to get them done before Liz woke up.

After showering and changing into his brown suit, Red walked downstairs and found Dembe waiting for him with a cup of tea. Red told Dembe what had happened to Liz the day before, and the plan for that morning.

"I want Luli and Grey to stay with the girls. we're going to see Kaplan. I need to put some things in motion and I want it done as soon as possible." Before Red could continue, a yawning Kate walked into the kitchen.

"Morning Dad, Dembe." Walking past both of them, Kate kissed each of them on the cheek. Getting a "Morning, Pumpkin" and "Morning, Miss Kate" on her way to the coffee pot, she sat at the breakfast bar and looked at both of them, knowing something was going on.

"What is it?"

Red pointed his head towards the door, and Dembe nodded and left the room. Approaching Kate, Red reached for one of her hands.

"Kate, I have to go sort a few things out. I need you to stay with Lizzie, and don't leave the house, ok?"

Agreeing, Kate spoke, "Are you going to find the person who hurt her?"

"Not yet, but they will be dealt with."

Nodding her head, Kate pulled her dad into a hug, whispering a 'be careful' as she pulled back. Red smiled, dropped a kiss to her forehead, grabbed his fedora, and left.

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When Red and Dembe reached the hotel, they parked and went up to the room. Knocking on the door, they waited. When it was opened, they were greeted by a middle-aged short woman with grey hair.

"Hello, my dearies."

Red pulled Mr. Kaplan into a hug, kissing both of her cheeks. Mr. Kaplan was someone that he trusted fully with his life and with Kate's. She'd been with him for over 20 years, and she was the one person who could help him and make him see sense when it came to certain situations. She also cleaned up after him and made sure that Red's team was always ready and waiting to help at a moment's notice. Mr. Kaplan was loyal and fierce and Red was glad she was on his side.

"Wonderful to see you, as always." Pulling away from the hug, they all made their way into the room. Once settled, Red began to discuss why they were there.

"Agent Keen's husband has become violent. I want people watching him 24/7. I want to know everything...where he goes and what he does and who he does it with."

Nodding, Mr. Kaplan showed no emotion and took out her phone. "I'll get our people on it now. What's the home address?" Relaying the address over the phone, Kaplan gave the instructions on what do and hung up. "Now that that's done, how's my granddaughter?"

"She's fine. She's at home with Lizzie."

"Agent Keen knows about Kate? I thought it was to remain secret, Raymond." Mr. Kaplan didn't raise her voice, but her tone spoke of how annoyed she was about anyone knowing of Kate. Red winced.

"It was, but Kate took matters into her own hands when she saw Lizzie while walking Red," Red explained quickly before Kaplan could get mad. If there was anyone as protective of Kate as Red, it was Kaplan.

"That's a good, strong dog but he needs more training. When it comes to looking after Kate, she needs the best." Kaplan calmed down as she spoke, but when it came to her granddaughter, she was fierce.

"I'm working on it."

Nodding to Dembe, Kaplan turned back to Red.

"Good. It was bound to happen I suppose, Kate meeting agent Keen. Kate has been talking about her nonstop since you told her of your plan." Seeing Red smile, she spoke again. "But don't think this means anyone else can know. Kate remaining a secret is for your safety and hers."

"Lizzie already knows the importance of Kate remaining a secret. If anyone was to find out about her, it won't be from Lizzie."

TBLTBLTBLTBLTBL

Liz woke up just before 9am, and immediately realized that Red wasn't with her. She wasn't upset about it. She knew he was giving her time and space before anything could happen between them. But apart from the shock she felt about what happened, Liz didn't love Tom anymore. She knew, though, that the time Red was giving her would make her even more comfortable with the idea of more than friendship with him. If anything, she couldn't wait for it. She was excited at the thought of kissing him again and being able to be herself, not having to lie about her job and what cases she was working on. They wouldn't be confidential to Red...they were his cases. And the hours she kept at work were usually spent with him. There would be no worries about coming home late or leaving early.

Getting up from the bed, Liz decided that she was going to try and forget about what happened with Tom and enjoy what today brought. Going to the bathroom, Liz got ready for work. After taking a shower and dressing, Liz made her way downstairs and found Kate in the kitchen by herself.

"Morning,Kate." Giving Kate a smile, Liz looked around and couldn't see or hear Red.

"Dad had to go see Gran, but he'll be back soon. Morning, by the way." Going to refill her coffee, Kate offered Liz a cup. Handing her the cup, she asked, "Do you want any breakfast?"

"No, thanks." Liz saw this as the perfect chance to find out more about Kate and who her grandmother was. "Your grandmother..." Getting Kate's attention, Liz continued, "I thought both of your parents' family were gone."

"They are, but my gran she's...she's my gran in everything but blood. She's been around for as long as I can remember. She's always been there for me." Liz noticed that Kate spoke with affection, something that she only did when speaking to or about her dad. "She encouraged me to keep playing the piano after everything that happened when I was a kid." Seeing Liz's confused look, she continued. "It was my mom who wanted me to play the piano. She's the one that got me to take lessons. I guess it just hurt at first... to continue playing always made me think of her. It still does, but now I play in her honour." When she spoke of her mother, Liz noted it was in a detached tone. She gave Kate a smile and drank some of her coffee.

"How old are you? Your dad's file would put you at..."

"28," they both answered together.

"You're asking cause I don't always act like it."

Liz, seeing that Kate wasn't upset by the question, spoke.

"I'm just curious."

"It's fine. By the time I was healed from this," Kate ran her fingers over her scar, "I was 5 and I had to grow up really quick. I think, in a way, that caused a bit of a setback. After that I've always felt like I should take that time back. I've always been surrounded by adults. I never had the chance to really play with other children...to run around in a park and just play, carefree. There was always Dembe and Luli or someone else standing there to keep an eye on me. I think that's why sometimes people might think I'm younger than I am." Turning and looking at Liz, Kate couldn't see any pity, which she was happy about. "So I take any chance I can to act like a kid."

"I would too," Liz replied with a genuine smile. Noticing the time, Liz spoke. "I'll have to leave in a bit for work. Is there someone here to stay with you?"

"Um...I think Grey's around somewhere." Then remembering what her dad told her, she spoke again. "But maybe you should stay with me. I mean, you're hurt and we could spend the day together." Kate gave Liz the smile that always got people to say yes to her. Liz, seeing that smile, knew that the protest that was on the tip of her tongue was going to stay there. Sighing, Liz nodded and pulled out her phone. Waiting for Copper to answer, she shot an amused look at Kate. She didn't mind staying home from work, it was just that this would be the first time she called in sick since starting at the Post Office.

"Sir, it's agent Keen. I won't be coming in today. I fell last night and I've sprained my wrist." Listening to what Cooper was telling her, Liz replied with 'Yes sir' every now and then. Hanging up, Liz turned to Kate. "Look's like I'm not going to work. What do you fancy doing?"

Before Kate could answer, they were interrupted by Red.

"How about some breakfast buritos? They're still hot." Walking into the room, Red gave one each to Kate and Liz and sat down with his own. Giving a smile and a wink to Liz, Red started to eat his burito.

* * *

**A/N **

**A huge thank you to jadenanne7 for being my wonderful beta, and to you guys for reading and/or reviewing this story.**


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